Israel-Conflict/Small Businesses

Israeli small businesses struggle with uncertainty amid protracted conflict

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Shotlist


Tel Aviv, Israel - July 4, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of consumers, baristas in coffee shop
2. SOUDNBITE (English) Kiki Nitzan, coffee shop owner (partially overlaid with shot 3):
"The last two weeks were very difficult, even more difficult than the 7th of October. It was very dangerous in Tel Aviv, so the city was empty, so it was very, very hard."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
3. Various of coffee shop sign; consumers in coffee shop
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
4. Various of coffee shop sign; coffee shop worker making food; baked goods on display
5. SOUDNBITE (English) Dror Litvak, country manager, ManpowerGroup Israel (starting with shot 4/partially overlaid with shot 6):
"In our survey, we can see that the very small businesses -- we're talking about businesses that are employing 50 employees or less -- we can see that they are decreasing their prediction, and they are not going to recruit new employees to their businesses because of this uncertainty."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
6. Various of consumers, baristas in coffee shop
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
7. Various of coffee shop sign; consumers; coffee mugs
8. SOUDNBITE (English) Dror Litvak, country manager, ManpowerGroup Israel (starting with shot 7/partially overlaid with shot 9):
"It takes months and months till actually the Ministry of Treasury transfers money to small businesses. At this time, those small businesses don't have credit. They lose clients, they don't have income in this period, and they need to pay salaries to their employees. So, first of all, if the grants come, they come too late."

Tel Aviv, Israel - June 17, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
9. Various of damaged buildings
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
10. Various of damaged buildings; national flag of Israel

Tel Aviv, Israel - July 4, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
11. SOUDNBITE (English) Kiki Nitzan, coffee shop owner (starting with shot 10/ending with shot 12):
"We cannot know what's happening next week or in a few months, if [there will be] another war or something like that. So the idea is not to make a plan for the long time, and to live in the moment for now."
12. Consumers in coffee shop
13. Various of street view, pedestrians

Storyline


Israeli small businesses have been struggling with uncertainty following the country's latest conflict with Iran.

On the surface, Tel Aviv seems to be back to its usual bustling pace, with streets full of life, stores open, and coffee shops serving espresso -- much as they did even after Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and during the prolonged military operation in Gaza that followed.

But this time, following the recent conflict with Iran, the atmosphere feels different.

"The last two weeks were very difficult, even more difficult than the 7th of October. It was very dangerous in Tel Aviv, so the city was empty, so it was very, very hard," said Kiki Nitzan, a coffee shop owner.

Industry analysts noted that, in addition to coffee shops, other small businesses have also faced significant financial pressure, as they must cover running costs such as rent and wages despite a sharp decline in consumer spending.

"In our survey, we can see that the very small businesses -- we're talking about businesses that are employing 50 employees or less -- we can see that they are decreasing their prediction, and they are not going to recruit new employees to their businesses because of this uncertainty," said Dror Litvak, country manager at ManpowerGroup Israel.

Litvak explained that, when it comes to government funding, priority will be given to relocating people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed, rebuilding those homes, and increasing the defense budget.

He pointed out that small businesses will have to wait a relatively long time to receive assistance, which could add to the economic hardships already facing these struggling businesses.

"It takes months and months till actually the Ministry of Treasury transfers money to small businesses. At this time, those small businesses don't have credit. They lose clients, they don't have income in this period, and they need to pay salaries to their employees. So, first of all, if the grants come, they come too late," he said.

In a region marked by uncertainty, long-term plans have become a luxury few can afford. Small business operators like Kiki Nitzan say they try to focus on the present and set aside worries about what lies ahead.

"We cannot know what's happening next week or in a few months, if [there will be] another war or something like that. So the idea is not to make a plan for the long time, and to live in the moment for now,” said the coffee shop owner.

DOWNLOAD
  • ID : 8435301
  • Dateline : July 4/June 17, 2025
  • Location : Israel
  • Category : Other
  • Duration : 1'32
  • Audio Language : English/Nats/Part Mute
  • Source : China Global Television Network (CGTN)
  • Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
  • Published : 2025-07-06 01:27
  • Last Modified : 2025-07-06 16:39:46
  • Version : 1
  • ID : 8435301
  • Dateline : 4 juill./17 juin 2025
  • Location : Israël
  • Category : Other
  • Duration : 1'32
  • Audio Language : Anglais/Nats/Partiellement muet
  • Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
  • Restrictions : Pas d’accès dans la partie continentale de Chine
  • Published : 2025-07-06 16:23
  • Last Modified : 2025-07-06 16:39:46
  • Version : 1
  • ID : 8435301
  • Dateline : 4 jul/17 jun, 2025
  • Location : Israel
  • Category : Other
  • Duration : 1'32
  • Audio Language : Inglés/Nats/Parte Muda
  • Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
  • Restrictions : No acceso a la parte continental de China
  • Published : 2025-07-06 15:20
  • Last Modified : 2025-07-06 16:39:46
  • Version : 1

Israel-Conflict/Small Businesses

Israeli small businesses struggle with uncertainty amid protracted conflict

Dateline : July 4/June 17, 2025

Location : Israel

Duration : 1'32

  • English
  • Français
  • Español


Tel Aviv, Israel - July 4, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of consumers, baristas in coffee shop
2. SOUDNBITE (English) Kiki Nitzan, coffee shop owner (partially overlaid with shot 3):
"The last two weeks were very difficult, even more difficult than the 7th of October. It was very dangerous in Tel Aviv, so the city was empty, so it was very, very hard."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
3. Various of coffee shop sign; consumers in coffee shop
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
4. Various of coffee shop sign; coffee shop worker making food; baked goods on display
5. SOUDNBITE (English) Dror Litvak, country manager, ManpowerGroup Israel (starting with shot 4/partially overlaid with shot 6):
"In our survey, we can see that the very small businesses -- we're talking about businesses that are employing 50 employees or less -- we can see that they are decreasing their prediction, and they are not going to recruit new employees to their businesses because of this uncertainty."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
6. Various of consumers, baristas in coffee shop
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
7. Various of coffee shop sign; consumers; coffee mugs
8. SOUDNBITE (English) Dror Litvak, country manager, ManpowerGroup Israel (starting with shot 7/partially overlaid with shot 9):
"It takes months and months till actually the Ministry of Treasury transfers money to small businesses. At this time, those small businesses don't have credit. They lose clients, they don't have income in this period, and they need to pay salaries to their employees. So, first of all, if the grants come, they come too late."

Tel Aviv, Israel - June 17, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
9. Various of damaged buildings
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
10. Various of damaged buildings; national flag of Israel

Tel Aviv, Israel - July 4, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
11. SOUDNBITE (English) Kiki Nitzan, coffee shop owner (starting with shot 10/ending with shot 12):
"We cannot know what's happening next week or in a few months, if [there will be] another war or something like that. So the idea is not to make a plan for the long time, and to live in the moment for now."
12. Consumers in coffee shop
13. Various of street view, pedestrians


Israeli small businesses have been struggling with uncertainty following the country's latest conflict with Iran.

On the surface, Tel Aviv seems to be back to its usual bustling pace, with streets full of life, stores open, and coffee shops serving espresso -- much as they did even after Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and during the prolonged military operation in Gaza that followed.

But this time, following the recent conflict with Iran, the atmosphere feels different.

"The last two weeks were very difficult, even more difficult than the 7th of October. It was very dangerous in Tel Aviv, so the city was empty, so it was very, very hard," said Kiki Nitzan, a coffee shop owner.

Industry analysts noted that, in addition to coffee shops, other small businesses have also faced significant financial pressure, as they must cover running costs such as rent and wages despite a sharp decline in consumer spending.

"In our survey, we can see that the very small businesses -- we're talking about businesses that are employing 50 employees or less -- we can see that they are decreasing their prediction, and they are not going to recruit new employees to their businesses because of this uncertainty," said Dror Litvak, country manager at ManpowerGroup Israel.

Litvak explained that, when it comes to government funding, priority will be given to relocating people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed, rebuilding those homes, and increasing the defense budget.

He pointed out that small businesses will have to wait a relatively long time to receive assistance, which could add to the economic hardships already facing these struggling businesses.

"It takes months and months till actually the Ministry of Treasury transfers money to small businesses. At this time, those small businesses don't have credit. They lose clients, they don't have income in this period, and they need to pay salaries to their employees. So, first of all, if the grants come, they come too late," he said.

In a region marked by uncertainty, long-term plans have become a luxury few can afford. Small business operators like Kiki Nitzan say they try to focus on the present and set aside worries about what lies ahead.

"We cannot know what's happening next week or in a few months, if [there will be] another war or something like that. So the idea is not to make a plan for the long time, and to live in the moment for now,” said the coffee shop owner.

ID : 8435301

Published : 2025-07-06 01:27

Last Modified : 2025-07-06 16:39:46

Source : China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland

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